Trump surveys devastated Texas as Harvey rages on

[webfact]

Trump surveys devastated Texas as Harvey rages on

By Ernest Scheyder and Peter Henderson

 

U.S. President Donald Trump receives a briefing on Tropical Storm Harvey relief efforts in Corpus Christi, Texas, U.S., August 29, 2017. REUTERS/Carlos Barria

 

HOUSTON (Reuters) - President Donald Trump visited Texas on Tuesday to survey damage from the first major natural disaster to test his leadership in a crisis, as record rainfall from Tropical Storm Harvey lashed Houston and tens of thousands of people fled flooded homes.

 

The slow-moving storm has brought catastrophic flooding to the state, killing at least 11 people and paralysing Houston, the fourth most-populous American city. Damage was expected to run well into the tens of billions of dollars, making it one of the costliest U.S. natural disasters.

 

City officials were preparing to shelter some 19,000 people, with thousands more expected to flee the area as the flooding entered its fourth day.

 

Nearly a third of Harris County was under water, an area 15 times the size of Manhattan, the Houston Chronicle newspaper reported. Forecasters warned the rain would continue through Thursday, badly straining the dams and drainage systems that protect the low-lying U.S. energy hub.

 

Harris County officials warned residents to evacuate as they released water from overflowing reservoirs to alleviate pressure on two dams, a move that would add to flooding along the Buffalo Bayou waterway that runs through the area.

 

Trump, speaking in Corpus Christi near where Harvey first came ashore last week as the most powerful hurricane to strike Texas in more than 50 years, said he wanted the relief effort to stand as an example of how to respond to a storm.

 

"We want to do it better than ever before," he said.

 

Trump later spoke to a crowd of people affected by the storm.

 

"This storm, it's epic what happened. But you know what, it happened in Texas and Texas can handle anything," Trump said, before waving a Texas state flag over the crowd, standing on a stepladder near a fire truck.

GRAPHIC: Storms in the North Atlantic - http://tmsnrt.rs/2gcckz5

 

MEMORIES OF KATRINA

 

Harvey has drawn comparisons with Hurricane Katrina, which devastated New Orleans 12 years ago, killing 1,800 people. Former President George W. Bush was widely criticized for his administration's handling of the response to that disaster, taking a heavy toll on public support of his administration.

 

Trump clearly was aiming to avoid a similar reaction.

 

An 11th death was reported on Tuesday - Houston Police Sergeant Steve Perez, 60, a 34-year veteran of the force who apparently drowned while attempting to drive to work on Sunday, Police Chief Art Acevedo told reporters.

 

Acevedo said in an emotional press conference that Perez' family had urged him not to leave the house because of the dangerous flooding but the officer told them, "We have work to do."

 

Some 3,500 people have been rescued from high waters in the Houston area with police, firefighters and National Guard troops continuing to try to locate those marooned in high waters.

 

Large numbers of civilians also formed ad hoc rescue groups, many using boats to pluck neighbours from flooded homes.

 

Gloria Stilwell, 44, who described herself as a stay-at-home mom, said she agreed with Trump's assessment that Houstonians were well equipped to handle the storm.

 

"I totally agree with him. Texas can definitely handle it," Stilwell said as she registered to volunteer at a shelter. "I've lived here since 1980, through plenty of hurricanes. Texans have always banded together."

 

Nurse Lisa Ike, 39, was less impressed.

 

'I JUST LOST MY HOUSE'

 

"Texas can handle anything? I just lost my house and three cars. We need help," Ike said, adding that she had not voted in the presidential election and had not yet made up her mind about Trump.

 

"My opinion will be made by how he handles this situation," she said.

 

The National Hurricane Center on Monday afternoon said a preliminary report from Texas shows a record 51.88 inches (131.78 cm) of rain has fallen due to Harvey, a record for any storm in the continental United States. The gauge was in Highlands, Texas, east of Houston. 

 

This breaks the previous record of 48 inches set during tropical storm Amelia in 1978 in Medina, Texas, the NHC said. Medina is west of San Antonio.

 

Harvey has roiled energy markets and wrought damage estimated to be in the billions of dollars, with rebuilding likely to last beyond Trump's four-year term in office.

 

After Corpus Christi, Trump was headed to the state capital Austin to meet with officials. Houston was not on his itinerary because much of it is impassable.

 

About 9,000 evacuees were staying at Houston's George R. Brown Convention Center and Houston Mayor Sylvester Turner said his office had asked the Federal Emergency Management Agency for assets to allow the city to shelter another 10,000 people.

 

Other shelters were set up in Dallas, about 250 miles (402 km) to the north, for about 8,000 people, and Austin, 160 miles (258 km) west, to take in 7,000 people. The Red Cross said it had 34,000 cots in the region and enough food for that many people.

 

Harvey was also drenching Louisiana 12 years after Hurricane Katrina hit the state and killed 1,800 people.

The slow-moving storm's centre was in the Gulf of Mexico about 70 miles (150 km) southeast of downtown Houston by Monday evening.

 

It was expected to linger just off the coast of Texas through most of Tuesday before moving inland again late Tuesday or early Wednesday, according to the U.S. National Hurricane Center.

 

Harvey was expected to produce another 6 to 12 inches (15 to 30 cm) of rain through Thursday over parts of the upper Texas coast into southwestern Louisiana.

 

The Gulf of Mexico is home to half of U.S. refining capacity. The reduction in supply led gasoline futures <RBc1> to hit their highest level in two years this week as Harvey knocked out about 16 percent of total U.S. refining capacity, based on company reports and Reuters estimates.

 

(Additional reporting by Gary McWilliams, Ernest Scheyder and Erwin Seba in Houston; Andy Sullivan in Rockport, Texas; Jon Herskovitz in Austin; Steve Holland in Corpus Christi, Texas; Bernie Woodall in Fort Lauderdale, Florida; and David Gaffen in New York; Writing by Scott Malone and Dan Whitcomb; Editing by Bill Trott and Lisa Shumaker)

 

-- © Copyright Reuters 2017-08-30

[ilostmypassword]

Trump would slash disaster funding to the very agencies he’s praising for Harvey response

As he toured rising floodwater in Texas on Tuesday, President Trump effusively praised his administration’s Hurricane Harvey response, an effort he began touting on Twitter last weekend even before the storm made landfall.

But not too long ago, the president proposed a budget calling for cuts to some of the federal government’s most consequential efforts to prepare states and local communities and help them recover from catastrophic events such as Harvey...

The cuts proposed by the Trump administration would slice away funding for long-term preparedness efforts, many of them put in place to address the sluggish federal response to Hurricane Katrina in 2005.

https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/as-agencies-respond-to-storm-some-face-cuts-under-trump-budget-proposal/2017/08/29/0fbbd6ca-8cc8-11e7-84c0-02cc069f2c37_story.html?utm_term=.b3a118fd23e3

[Thakkar]

BuzzFeed News (@BuzzFeedNews)
30/8/17, 3:28 am


At his first briefing in Texas, Trump thanks FEMA Director William Brock Long and says he’s come “very famous on television” due to Harvey. pic.twitter.com/TFyD580JPY

 

and

 

[Thakkar]

 

*Historical note: During Katrina, Obama wasn't president. Republican George W. Bush was.

[Thakkar]

Dave Pell (@davepell)
30/8/17, 5:12 am


Trump: The I of the storm.

[Thakkar]

@johnjharwood

press pooler (Dallas News) on Trump remarks: "reporters heard no mention of dead/dying/displaced Texans, no expression of sympathy for them"

[Thakkar]

Gabe Ortíz (@TUSK81)

30/8/2017, 6:39 AM

Barack Obama consoling hurricane victim in 2012, Donald Trump consoling hurricane victim in 2017. pic.twitter.com/BNHqSVzWtm

 

[YetAnother]

"devastated Texas"

Hardly, Texas is a very big place; the disaster at hand affected a significant portion of the Texas Gulf Coast as well as Houston which is very very experienced in flooding

In relative terms ,that is a small part of Texas

[Jingthing]

"devastated Texas" Hardly, Texas is a very big place; the disaster at hand affected a significant portion of the Texas Gulf Coast as well as Houston which is very very experienced in flooding In relative terms ,that is a small part of Texas

 

 

Trying to paint this as a normal flooding event for Houston is beyond idiotic. Houston will never be the same.   

 

 

"Harvey Is What Climate Change Looks Like

 

It’s time to open our eyes and prepare for the world that’s coming.

 

 

In all of U.S. history, there’s never been a storm like Hurricane Harvey. That fact is increasingly clear, even though the rains are still falling and the water levels in Houston are still rising."

 

 

 

 

http://www.politico.com/magazine/story/2017/08/28/climate-change-hurricane-harvey-215547

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Berkshire]

Trump is only in Texas for free PR and to hawk Trump merchandise...

 

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/melania-flotus-hat_us_59a59e1ce4b084581a1395a1

[Opl]

 https://twitter.com/howroute/status/902700529717043200/photo/1

 

 

[rijb]

5 hours ago, Thakkar said:

@johnjharwood

press pooler (Dallas News) on Trump remarks: "reporters heard no mention of dead/dying/displaced Texans, no expression of sympathy for them"

or of people like this guy...

 

 

[maewang99]

this is just normal weather.  it's always changing. 

they need to adapt.



   

[Thakkar]

3 hours ago, Berkshire said:

Trump is only in Texas for free PR and to hawk Trump merchandise...

 

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/melania-flotus-hat_us_59a59e1ce4b084581a1395a1

I think Melania was wearing the FLOTUS hat just to remind everyone that "I'M the flotus, dammit, not that B!tch, Ivanka!"

[Thakkar]

38 minutes ago, rijb said:

or of people like this guy...

 

 

So many great Americans like this fine fellow. Donations of goods and money are also pouring in. THIS is the great America that already exists. When some people say they want to "MAGA" it's really code for "MAWA"

 

I'll let you guess what the "w" stands for.

[Opl]

or MARA 

[Jingthing]

this is just normal weather.  it's always changing. 

they need to adapt.



   

No it was most certainly not normal weather.

But you're right humans must now adapt to the harsh realities of global warming even when the current U.S. president denies science.

[Jingthing]

So many great Americans like this fine fellow. Donations of goods and money are also pouring in. THIS is the great America that already exists. When some people say they want to "MAGA" it's really code for "MAWA"

 

I'll let you guess what the "w" stands for.

Whig?

Waterlogged?

Whacky?

Wistful?

 

 

 

[Skeptic7]

Absolutely zero comfort this ego-maniacal, bratty buffoon could possibly offer to the victims. Just a PR/photo op. 

[Langsuan Man]

The only thing missing from this dog and pony show was a booth for him to shill his damn hats @ $40 a shot

 

                                                        

[Thakkar]

4 minutes ago, Langsuan Man said:

The only thing missing from this dog and pony show was a booth for him to shill his damn hats @ $40 a shot

 

                                                        

He's a two bit hustler; he just can't help himself.

[landslide]

8 hours ago, Berkshire said:

Trump is only in Texas for free PR and to hawk Trump merchandise...

 

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/melania-flotus-hat_us_59a59e1ce4b084581a1395a1

Obama would have been playing golf.

[Opl]

3 hours ago, landslide said:

Obama would have been playing golf.

Too sad you have such a bad memory...

 

D. Trump tweeted : " Not only giving out money, but Obama will be seen today standing in water and rain like he is a real President --- don't fall for it."

07:06 - 30 oct. 2012 

https://www.popsugar.com/news/Donald-Trump-Old-Tweet-About-Obama-Hurricane-Sandy-43951502

https://twitter.com/realDonaldTrump/status/263280672146337792

 

And ...

Poll: 78 percent approve of Obama's response to Sandy: "Since the hurricane hit the coast over the weekend, Obama has visited the Federal Emergency Management Agency twice, as well as the Red Cross. On Wednesday Obama surveyed some of the worst damage from the hurricane in New Jersey with the state's governor, Chris Christie (R)."

http://thehill.com/blogs/ballot-box/polls/265191-poll-78-percent-approve-of-obamas-response-to-sandy

 

 

 

... You are welcome

Edited August 30, 2017 by Opl

[Stargeezr]

Harvey was a Hurricane. Nothing to do with Climate change, but thanks to those who want to blame all of Natures doing on Mankind. Thanks a Lot!

Geezer

[Scott]

Off-topic post removed.  

[ilostmypassword]

1 hour ago, Stargrazer9889 said:

Harvey was a Hurricane. Nothing to do with Climate change, but thanks to those who want to blame all of Natures doing on Mankind. Thanks a Lot!

Geezer

No surprise that your idea of scientific evidence is a cartoon.

Here's an excerpt and a  link to what real science looks like:

"...Here, the science is far less equivocal, and there is a broad consensus that storms are increasing in strength, or severity. This attribute, called the Power Dissipation Index, measures the duration and intensity (wind speed) of storms, and research has found that since the mid-1970s, there has been an increase in the energy of storms.

Recent research has shown that we are experiencing more storms with higher wind speeds, and these storms will be more destructive, last longer and make landfall more frequently than in the past."

https://www.skepticalscience.com/hurricanes-global-warming.htm

[RickBradford]

^^^

Oh, come on.

 

Quoting 'Skeptical Science' on climate matters is on a par with quoting Soviet-era Pravda on tractor production figures. It's a joke site run by joke people.

 

The fact is that over the past year or so, and particularly since the Paris COP21 disaster, most of the brighter climate activists have realised the jig is up, and so have moved on to other rewarding SJW activities like knocking  down statues, hurling moronic abuse at President Trump, and blocking free-speech meetings in the name of preventing Fascism.

 

Only a few dim-bulb activists failed to keep up, are still working the climate beat, but even they'll get the message sooner or later.

 

It was never about 'saving the planet' and certainly not about saving humanity (which the environmentalists hate) but just another stick to hammer successful capitalists with. As the saying goes: "If you can't join them, beat them."

 

 

[Opl]

5 hours ago, Stargrazer9889 said:

Harvey was a Hurricane. Nothing to do with Climate change, but thanks to those who want to blame all of Natures doing on Mankind. Thanks a Lot!

Geezer

 

Wether you, alike Trump denie CC is a reality, or believe it's a chinese hoax, I wonder if you alike Trump will take into consideration, CC risks, regarding real estate decisisons...

an interesting article here, IMHO 

"How climate change could turn US real estate prices upside down : environmental threats and climate change to land and property values looks certain to become the standard nationwide as Houston begins to mop up from the misery of Harvey. If seas are rising three millimetres a year that’s one thing, but if we’re getting superstorms every couple of years with greater frequency and intensity, things can change a lot faster"

https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2017/aug/29/hurricane-harvey-climate-change-real-estate-florida

 

Edited August 31, 2017 by Opl

[ilostmypassword]

3 minutes ago, RickBradford said:

^^^

Oh, come on.

 

Quoting 'Skeptical Science' on climate matters is on a par with quoting Soviet-era Pravda on tractor production figures. It's a joke site run by joke people.

 

The fact is that over the past year or so, and particularly since the Paris COP21 disaster, most of the brighter climate activists have realised the jig is up, and so have moved on to other rewarding SJW activities like knocking  down statues, hurling moronic abuse at President Trump, and blocking free-speech meetings in the name of preventing Fascism.

 

Only a few dim-bulb activists failed to keep up, are still working the climate beat, but even they'll get the message sooner or later.

 

It was never about 'saving the planet' and certainly not about saving humanity (which the environmentalists hate) but just another stick to hammer successful capitalists with. As the saying goes: "If you can't join them, beat them."

 

 

Sure, it's a fraud. That's why those evil socialist organizations otherwise known as insurance companies are now taking human caused global warming into account.

https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2016/dec/07/climate-change-threatens-ability-insurers-manage-risk

https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/insurers-claim-global-warming-makes-some-uninsurable/

http://www.smithsonianmag.com/science-nature/how-the-insurance-industry-is-dealing-with-climate-change-52218/

 

 

[RickBradford]

^^

The global warming scare is a godsend for the insurance industry. It's made to order for them.

 

They can jack up premiums (and have done so) for no reason, purely based on this alarmist scaremongering, and nobody can call them out for sheer profiteering.

 

It's pure capitalist profit created, ironically, by a socialist feel-good fantasy narrative. You might want to ponder that at your next struggle meeting.